This proposed project is a supplemental application for renewal of the Mouse Core, a component of the Core Center (P30 DC005983) at the Oregon Health &Science University. This P30 supports twelve principal investigators, funded by the NIDCD and other institutes. The group has a strong focus on and a substantial record of accomplishments in the auditory and vestibular sciences. The Mouse Core supports P30 investigators during their use of mice in NIDCD-funded projects. The increase in powerful molecular and genetic tools for investigation of gene function in the laboratory mouse has greatly increased interest in this animal as a model for auditory and vestibular research. Although the interpretation of experiments exploiting mice with genetic alterations is not always straightforward, the ability to examine the consequences of modification of a single gene has tremendous implications for molecular investigation of the inner ear. The overall goal of the Mouse Core is to enable investigators in the Core Center to carry out experiments with mice, and in particular with genetically modified mice. This ability should enhance present research projects and lead to new experimental approaches, particularly involving collaborations among several investigators. In this revised supplemental application, to provide expertise and services to the Core Center for mouse molecular genetics studies, three specific aims are proposed: 1. To provide mouse husbandry services and training, 2. To provide genotyping services and training, and 3. To provide in vivo electroporation resources. By centralizing these activities into a single facility, we not only allow individual investigators to focus on their individual research projects, but also to create a more cost-effective approach to use of mice in NIDCD funded research programs. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: Mouse lines in which specific genes are modified by investigators often offer the best models for human diseases, including deafness. Because the expense and complexity of using mice often prevents investigators from using these powerful models, the Mouse Core will provide expertise that catalyzes introduction of mouse experiments into investigators'repertoires. Core B Mouse Core Co-Directors: Peter Gillespie, Ph.D. and John Brigande, Ph.D.